Table Saw Tips for Newbies

[GeorgeT]

Hey David I got that same Craftsman tablesaw. The left table wing is off mine too. Needed little more walking room in my garage. Great saw. Bought new in '86. Went through a ton of hardwood with it and burned out the motor. Just forced it too much I guess. Anyway I put a bigger heavy duty motor on it. It hums real good. I also have the Freud diablo blades in my table saw and circular saw. Thin curf. Have really been a blessing working on the camper. I usually use Systematic 10 inch 80 tooth Triple chip in my table saw and miter saw. I got a board screwed to my fence also mainly to true up the metal craftsmen fence as it was not perfectly straight. I screwed the wood to it with little shims between the metal fence and the wooden one. Now it cuts nice with no tear out. I like your fence you made and extension table. I need to make a shooter board too. Have made one before to do a bunch of picture framing and it worked well. I did make another face plate out of wood that I just raised the blade up into it so it would have no clearance. I also made a rolling platform for it out of some plywood and dolly wheels. The store boought wheels were too pricey for me. Anyway, I do think also that the main tool I have and the workhorse in the stable has been my table saw. Oh yeah, I put tennis balls on the protruding fence rails to keep them from digging into my hide when I forgit and wham into them.

[rheagler]

I've been checking out this site for a while, and finally found a post I can have some input on. I have a early 50's Delta Homecraft 8" tablesaw I could rave for hours about, but the one I really want to mention is the 10" Ryobi I relunctantly bought about 3 years ago. It was $90 at Home Depot and I was expecting it to be junk, but I was 100 miles from home working on a house and was tired of ripping boards with my circular saw. This cheap, light, loud saw saved the day. I use it all the time now remodeling kitchens and bathrooms, building decks and porches. I usually set it up on a hollow core door between 2 saw horses. For long rips I just put a toolbox or something that is the right height on the outfeed side. I wouldn't recommend my methods to everyone, some of my methods may make some safety minded folks cringe. The saw is too small for plywood, I usually use a guide with my circular saw for cutting up large sheets. Anyway, for the price the little Ryobi can't be beat. Last time I was at the Depot, the price was reduced to $79.

[vinoscooter]

Received it for xmas... It was 79.00 w/stand..w/ my bad back,it's light portable,even i can haul it around.I had loaned my old delta out last fall,it came back with the motor gears blown out...so WOW am i happy w/this little table saw..It'll do everything i need it to do...Hey does anyone out there know of a good place to by replacement motor's for table saws?..Or are these cheap saws like a toaster...Use em and toss...There's a few folks around here that need a motor for there saw...Just thought id ask...Go away rain & wind,Tear drop buildin...about to begin...Take care...

[asianflava]

All this talk about the fence. Is this the fence that you clamp down by turning the handle? If I remember correctly I always hated that fence. I never trusted it, I would always check it with a square before cutting the wood. Even the fence on the contractor saw that I'm borrowing now works better than that old one did. That was a long time ago though I was like 14 or 15 when I was using that saw. I've never really had any fear of power tools, except for the raised panel bit on the router table.

The wife is talking about building a detached garage. If we do end up building it, I will setup a shop. Can't decide if I want the wood shop on the attached garage or the mechanical shop. I'll probably get that saw from my dad. It's just a table right now, I'll have to put the saw back into it. But for now, a contractor saw is what will fit the bill.

[doug hodder]

Asianflava..... yeah that crank down fence was a drag, I don't know if we're talking about the same thing, I got the Unifence. lever lock down, no need to check the runout on it. works perfect, the original was a piece of crap.......PS raised panel bits are a lot of iron swinging around at 25K RPM huh?????Doug Hodder

[John Foote]

PS raised panel bits are a lot of iron swinging around at 25K RPM huh?????

You're kidding, right? I hope so. 10,000 RPM is plenty fast. Unless you have a variable speed router, you should probably avoid 3" diameter bits. Either that, or make sure to stand in your lucky spot and/or wear your iron shorts when the carbide lets go.

[SteveH]

Question....all the talk about the fence, and paticularly the Unifence. Is that an aftermarket fence? Is it available for my old Craftsman table saw that uses the screw down fence?

Thanks,

[madjack]

...Steve H, the Unifence is a product from the Delta people, it is designed to be a universal system with the adj/mounting rail adaptable to most all saws. It can be had in 30/45/96" lengths and is pricey, the whole system will run you over $250 however it is one hand accurate/adjustable.It is well worth the money if you want about the best there is, make your living with a saw or just use the heck out of it
madjack

[SteveH]

Thanks Jack, that sounds good, but at that price, I believe I'll stay with the original stock unit.

[Arne]

I have one of those light-weight saws and like it.... except... the damn fence is so hard to adjust right... I line it up using the ribs..... It won't move easily, the back clamb hangs up on the table..... but, it does the job, bitching and all......

[JunkMan]

Hey does anyone out there know of a good place to by replacement motor's for table saws

Is it a belt drive saw? I think that you can use just about any motor that is the same horsepower, and RPM. I have bought replacement motors from places such as Granger. You might also check the yellow pages for places that re-build motors. I had the motor for my radial arm saw repaired for much less than the cost of a new motor.

[bdosborn]

Your complaining about the saw you have? I just saw your galley looks pretty good for a table saw you didn't like. I forgot to mention I work alone and talk to my machines keeps them happy, they're all named after the women in my life and all have the same temperment as the woman they're named after. Opps left myself open on this one with my luck I'll hear something on this but on the brighter side I still have a couple of machines needing names maybe they'll end up having one!
Still haven't name the thickness planer she's speaks the loudest, whines and spits out sawdust! Nice cabinets my compliments to the builder and his saw!

That's just it. I didn't use the saw for the cabinets. I used a miter saw and a circular saw with a guide. The only thing I used the table saw for was ripping down the cabinet faces. And all those cuts are on the bottom of the drawers now. But thanks for the compliment. Hmmm, maybe that's my problem. My saw's name is "you useless piece of..."
Bruce

[purplepickup]

Since this discussion has been about table saws in general I thought I'd ask something. What's the opinion of this Craftsman saw for a hobbyist like me that doesn't have much desire to do high volume or precision woodworking? It's on sale for $177 and I understand that you get what you pay for but I'm not sure how much quality I need. I've wanted a saw for a while and it seems that buying one now while I'm starting the trailer makes sense. Problem is I don't have a lot of extra money considering what I'm going to be spending to build a trailer. Should I just look for a good used saw that might be better quality? I've been watching but haven't seen and real good deals. Opinions?

[vinoscooter]

I believe the motor is direct drive,no belt...the few places i went said it's cheaper to buy a new saw...at that price the motor,a new one or a repair would be more than the saw...Doesn't make since..Just thought id start looking now...rather than be without a saw again...Maybe I should buy another saw,just leave it in the box...Now that realley don't make since...!I realley find this post helpfull... All my power tool skills need improving...Table saws seem to help the most though.

[JunkMan]

What's the opinion of this Craftsman saw for a hobbyist like me that doesn't have much desire to do high volume or precision woodworking?

My son has one of those, and although he doesn't like it as much as my 20 year old iron top Craftsman, he says it does the job OK. The main thing he likes is that it is compact. He just got transferred overseas, and left it with his father in law, since I didn't need it. He originally bought it to do some re-modeling on his house, but is getting into more cabinet work, so he plans to get a better one when he gets back.